The Kansas City Royals meet the Chicago White Sox on Thursday, August 5, to wrap up their three-game series at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago, so here’s the best betting pick for this American League Central showdown along with the latest odds update on BetOnline Sportsbook

Excluding the middle contest of this set, the White Sox have won 13 of their last 19 encounters with the Royals and are 8-6 against Kansas City in 2021. Chicago is a strong fave for Thursday’s closer, while the totals are set at 9.5 runs. 

The Royals extended their losing streak last Tuesday   

The Kansas City Royals fell to 45-60 on the season following a 7-1 defeat in the opening clash of this series last Tuesday, extending their losing streak to four games. Before that heavy loss at Guaranteed Rate Field, the Royals got swept by the Blue Jays in a three-game set at Rogers Centre in Toronto.

Kansas City has struggled at the plate since the All-Star break, recording the third-worst OPS in the majors (.684) while batting .231. The Royals have done a much better job on the other side of the ball, sporting a 4.02 ERA and 1.16 WHIP over the last three weeks.

Daniel Lynch will get the starting call Thursday, and the 24-year-old rookie is 1-3 with a poor 6.95 ERA and 1.68 WHIP in five starts. He met the ChiSox in May and got pounded for eight earned runs while recording only a couple of outs. Last time out, the lefty has been charged for a loss in a 6-4 defeat at Toronto, yielding three earned runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out two across six innings of work.

The White Sox found their groove in the opener

The Chicago White Sox improved to 63-44 on the season following an impressive victory over the Royals in the opener. Dylan Cease threw six scoreless innings and surrendered one hit and two walks while punching out 11. On the other side of the ball, the White Sox scored seven runs on five hits, while both Andrew Vaughn and Tim Andreson went yard.

Chicago’s offense has struggled since the All-Star, slashing just .211/.297/.396. At least, the ChiSox have smacked 25 home runs in the second half of the season, while their pitching staff has recorded a decent 3.76 ERA and 1.09 WHIP.

Dallas Keuchel will take the mound Thursday, and he’s 7-4 with a 4.51 ERA and 1.35 WHIP in 20 starts and one relief appearance this season. The 33-year-old southpaw hasn’t been sharp in his last two starts (11.1 frames), surrendering nine earned runs on 11 hits and a couple of walks.

Keuchel met the Royals on July 26 and got charged for a loss in a 4-3 defeat. He yielded four earned runs on six hits and a walk while punching out three through six frames of work. Dallas is 6-2 with a 2.76 ERA in 12 career starts against the Royals.

Trends:

Kansas City:

  • 2-16 in the last 18 games on the road
  • 6-13 in the last 19 games against the White Sox  

ChiSox:

  • 11-4 in the last 15 games at home 
  • 14-2 in the last 16 games played in August  

Kansas City Royals vs. Chicago White Sox Pick

The White Sox are 41-18 against the sub-.500 teams this season. Also, they are 20-10 against the left-handed starting pitchers. The ChiSox have already tortured Daniel Lynch, and I’m looking for another strong performance against the rookie left-hander.

Chicago is slashing .256/.330/.427 against the lefties, so give me the hosts to win. Their bullpen is solid insurance if Dallas Keuchel starts to struggle, and the White Sox should be fired up to continue with high-scoring displays.

Royals vs. White Sox Pick: WSOX

The Total:

With a couple of lefties on the mound, I’m going with the over on the totals, though the hosts remain my best betting pick here. I’ve mentioned how good the ChiSox are against the southpaws, while the Royals have recorded a .255/.306/.426 slash line against the left-handed starting pitchers.

On the other hand, the betting trends are suggesting the under, as the previous eight encounters between the Royals and ChiSox went in the under, excluding the middle contest of this series.

Royals vs. White Sox Total: Over 9.5